CWES - Cornucopia Loop Eagle Cap Wilderness

The Cascadian Wilderness Endurance Series events present an exciting opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts to participate in a multimedia adventure blogging contest. These self-supported/unsupported events are open to trail runners, backpackers, fastpackers, and hikers, and each event features a unique and defined route which participants must complete on foot and in one push. Unlike traditional endurance races, there are no course markings or aid stations along the way, providing participants with the freedom to create their own adventure. It’s all up to you! Participants can choose to tackle the route solo or with a couple friends. There are no cutoffs, so participants can take as much time as they need to complete the route without pressure. This unique event is not just about the physical challenge or exploring wild and beautiful places, but also about the opportunity to capture and share the beauty of the wilderness through captivating multimedia content.

Route Description

The gold mining town of Cornucopia, Oregon thrived, for the most part, from 1884 until 1942. Today, it is a ghost town and tourist attraction. Many old buildings still stand intact, with a spattering of newer houses and trailers occupied seasonally by hunters. It’s worth a quick drive-through while you’re up there. Loop starts with a climb up an old mining road, then turns left at the first junction onto the Norway Trail. After making it over Norway Pass, you will drop down to the South Fork of the Imnaha River, crossing it twice before climbing up towards Crater Lake (not THE Crater Lake, just A Crater Lake) on the Cliff Creek Trail. Stay left on Pine Lakes Trail, and after crossing the pass at the high point of the route, drop down to Upper and Lower Pine Lake to begin the 7 mile descent to the finish. Loop begins and ends near the privately owned Cornucopia Lodge. Highly recommended to have a meal there before or after your trip. Call ahead for availability, vegetarian/vegan options may be available (541-742-4500).

Rationale

Why should you pay $20 to complete one of the endurance challenges? A small part of the fee will go to cover website maintenance and domain registration, as well as getting patches made and other small goodies/swag. The majority of this fee will be donated to trail maintenance organizations. Why are we even doing this? To get people out into the wonderful wilderness areas that we have here in the Northwest and to build the community of adventurous people! The trip report is just as important as actually finishing the route, and we love it when people come up with creative ways to share their experience. Information isn't always readily available for these areas, and maps can be scarce and not always reliable (especially the Pasayten and Frank Church/Selway Wildernesses.) That can intimidate some that aren't as experienced outdoors-people. The goal is to empower people to get out into these wilderness areas and hopefully to protect them into the future.